


Of Loss and Love

by sonicbros



Series: Requests [7]
Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Alcohol, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Major Character Injury, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-05
Updated: 2019-11-05
Packaged: 2021-01-23 12:48:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21320437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sonicbros/pseuds/sonicbros
Summary: Sonic is knocked out and Shadow doesn't understand his reaction to the incident... until he does.
Relationships: Shadow the Hedgehog/Sonic the Hedgehog
Series: Requests [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1467292
Comments: 11
Kudos: 162





	Of Loss and Love

**Author's Note:**

> Original prompt:  
"Sonadow hurt and comfort (ft. Tsundere shadow)?"
> 
> Additional notes from requester:  
"Angsty fanfic where Shadow is [being] comforted by Rouge [because] he can't understand the emotions he has for Sonic"

It’s taken them a long time to get to this point. No longer rivals, but rather allies, nearly friends. Sonic had decided to continually go out of his way to interject himself into Shadow’s missions, but the dark hedgehog didn’t mind—in fact, he appreciate the help, though he’d still never admit that. 

However, this was a mission that Shadow wished Sonic hadn’t participated in. 

Shadow barely turned his head in time to watch an Eggman robot’s missile strike the ground just in front of the blue hero. The blast sent Sonic flying across the room, currently located in the Doctor’s base they had been trying to internally dismantle. Sonic slammed back-first into the wall, his head making the impact so hard that Shadow could hear the crack of bone on metal, watching as he dropped motionless to the floor.

Shadow froze and… _what?_

Before he could recognize the feeling in his chest, another missile went off, this time at his own side. He was sent soaring through the room just as Sonic had been, but unlike him, Shadow was able to use Chaos control to get back to his feet before he suffered the same outcome as Sonic. With a hop and a spin dash, the robot was destroyed. The second he landed, even before every broken piece of the robot had hit the ground, Shadow had skated over to Sonic’s side.

He knelt down quickly, and for some reason, he couldn’t hear anything over… the sound of his own heartbeat? He didn’t know how that was possible. That had never happened to him before. And he couldn’t think outside of the scene in front of him—so he had no idea what was happening to himself. 

Shadow reminded himself to focus, and with the reminder, finally noticed the presence of Sonic’s faint breathing. It still didn’t lower the volume of his own pulse in his ears. 

Frowning, he scooped Sonic up carefully, standing and taking off toward the exit of the base. 

“Shadow, the Doctor is getting away out of the East corridor. Get here now!” Rouge’s voice came over the com in his ear, but even her voice sounded a thousand miles away. He ignored her, instead skating top-speed out of the opposite end of the base, zooming off in the direction of Tails’ home—the one he knew Sonic shared with the kid. 

He destroyed the front door upon entering the house. 

Was he… _panting?_

Why was his vision _blurry?_

_What was wrong with him?_

Shadow ignored the questions racing in his head, instead moving to the hallway. He entered a bedroom—which one, he didn’t care—and set Sonic down atop the duvet, just to look down at him. He blinked, then shook his head, beginning to feel his own heart rate decreasing, catching his breath too. 

Finally, he could hear Sonic’s heartbeat instead of his own. It was normal, and even if his breathing was shallower than it should be, Shadow knew he would be fine, so he raised his hand to his ear.

“Rouge,” he spoke.

“Shadow, what the hell?!” the bat huffed angrily through their communication line.

“Do you have eyes on the fox?”

“What? Yeah, he’s here with me,” she responded, the irritation still clear in her tone. “Why?”

“Tell him to go home immediately. Sonic’s been injured.”

And with that, Shadow plucked the earpiece from his ear, watching Sonic for another second before turning and leaving—heading for Club Rouge.

-

Rouge entered her club hours later and as soon as she laid eyes on her partner, she crossed her arms. “You better have a good explanation, Shad—” she started, but paused when she noticed the two empty bottles on the counter and the empty glass in his hand. “What happened to not liking your senses dulled?” she asked as she walked up to him.

Shadow lifted his head, having been resting it on his forearm. “I changed my mind,” he mumbled, not nearly as inebriated as he hoped to be after two full bottles of the strongest liquor on the shelves. 

Rouge blinked at him, confused, surprised, but also completely aware that something was very, very off with her friend. “What’s going on with you?” she asked, moving to take a seat on the stool beside him. “What happened at the base?”

“Sonic was injured,” he answered, moving to get up. He rounded the bar counter, grabbing a bottle off the shelf.

“Shadow—” Rouge started to protest.

“I’m not in the mood for an argument,” Shadow suddenly growled, a threat behind his voice.

Rouge sighed as he took his seat again and opened the bottle to pour himself another full glass. “So, Sonic was injured,” she reiterated, deciding to let him destroy his liver for the night. “What’s that got to do with this?” she asked, gesturing to him and his glass.

Shadow was silent, only raising his glass to take a ‘sip’ that consisted of half of its contents. 

During his trip with the first two bottles sitting before him, he had tried working through what he had felt when Sonic hit that wall and during the run back to Tails’ house. The pounding of his heart, blurred tunnel vision, and panting—he thought he might’ve been poisoned, but then again, that was improbable and more than likely impossible.

Then he recalled that those were symptoms of spiked adrenaline. He had been in countless battles, even fought to the point of most certain death, and had never experienced anything remotely related to adrenaline. He was designed to remain focused under any circumstance, yet he had suffered what he believed to be his first adrenaline rush.

And then he remembered…

“I was afraid,” he finally said, raising the glass to his lips and downing the rest of the brown liquid inside of it.

Rouge rose a brow, eyeing him. Never in her life would she have imagined Shadow admitting to being afraid. “Afraid of what exactly?”

“That he was going to die,” he said, grabbing the bottle and pouring himself another glass.

Rouge watched him. “Well, sure, he’s your friend.”

Shadow grit his teeth and shook his head, his crimson eyes locked on the drink in his hand. “I have never felt fear like this,” he said slowly. “Not even when—” he started, but his voice betrayed him, cracking and breaking his sentence, so he clenched his jaw and swallowed. “Not even when Maria died.”

Rouge was silent. 

Shadow was as well. He didn’t dare move a muscle—not until he spoke again.

“I… I believe I may have romantic feelings for Sonic.”

Rouge sighed inaudibly, needing a moment to comprehend what Shadow was telling her. Her anger had long since dissipated. No wonder Shadow couldn’t help them attempt to catch Eggman. “Hon, it’s really not a big deal,” she decided to say. “You should tell him how you feel.”

Shadow scoffed, finally raising his glass again. “Then everyone will know I’ve betrayed Maria.”

Rouge rose a brow again. “Betrayed her how?”

Shadow took a smaller sip, frowning angrily at it—and mostly himself. “She was the _sole_ reason I was created. I am not supposed to—” he started but ended up scowling before he could finish his thought.

“Above all, she’d want you to be happy, Shadow,” she said, reaching out and placing her hand on his shoulder. “It’s been over fifty years. It’s a good thing you can let yourself feel something like this, and she would agree.”

Shadow thought for a moment, then just shook his head. “Even so, it doesn’t matter,” he mumbled, allowing the hand on his shoulder. “He would never feel the same.”

Rouge dropped her hand. “That’s definitely not true.”

“I’ve never been particularly kind to him,” he reminded her.

“Well that’s just your way of flirting,” she chuckled.

Suddenly, Shadow’s unused fist slammed on the counter, and he looked over at her, baring his teeth. “Does it sound like I’m laughing?” he growled. 

Rouge blinked, but then only sighed, eyeing him. “Well I know Blue isn’t just miraculously running into you on every single one of your missions,” she said. “He wants to be spending time with you, and you specifically.”

“As a friend,” he said, matter of fact, but she only shook her head.

“Come on, does that really make sense?” she asked, giving him a small, reassuring smile. “You see each other practically every day. People who are just friends don’t do that.” Shadow scanned her face for her truthfulness, his hand still lingering on his drink. “I think there’s a serious possibility he feels the same way.”

Shadow continued to look at her, before facing forward so he could finish his final drink. “I’ll tell him then,” he breathed, standing up. 

Rouge blinked and laughed, standing as well and placing a hand on his shoulder. “As entertaining as that would be, I think you should wait until morning,” she said. “Let’s get you to bed.”


End file.
